Born in 1903, Maysie MacSporran was educated in Montreal at Miss Edgar’s private school and McGill University. She graduated with a B.A. in 1927 and an M.A. in 1930 with a thesis on James McGill. She did further graduate work at Columbia University from 1933-1934. She worked for the Library of Congress in Ottawa from 1930-1932 as the director of a Rockefeller funded microfilm project to copy sources for American history in foreign archives. Later, she worked as a teacher in Miss Edgar’s and Miss Cramp’s private school and became the headmistress. An Honorary Life member of the James McGill Society, this historical society established an annual lecture in her name after her death in 2000.

Rev. Roderick Joseph MacSween was born on May 8, 1915, in North Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

He was a Canadian Catholic priest, poet, literary critic, and educator. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier University and Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax. He was ordained during the Second World War and served as a priest in White Point, Pomquet, and New Waterford. He taught English at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, for 35 years (1948-1983). In 1962, he was made chair of the Department of English. He also served as a counsellor to troubled women. In 1970, MacSween founded the Antigonish Review and established the first creative writing course in a Canadian university. A voracious reader at an early age, he accumulated a personal library of about 20,000 books. He published several books of poetry, e.g., "The Forgotten World" (1971), "The Burnt Forest (and Other Stories)" (1975), "Furiously Wrinkled" (1976), and "Called from Darkness" (1984). His biography "The Forgotten World of R.J. MacSween: A Life," written by Stewart L. Donovan, was published in 2007.

He died on October 10, 1990, in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Rev. Donald Harvey MacVicar was born on November 20, 1831, in Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

He was a Presbyterian minister, educator, and author. In 1835, his family emigrated to Canada. He was educated at the Toronto Academy, the University of Toronto, and Knox College, the theological school of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Canada (Free Church). In 1859, he was ordained a minister to Knox Church, Guelph. In 1861, he accepted a call to Coté Street Church, Montreal. He served as chairman of the senate and principal of the Presbyterian College of Montreal from 1868 until his death. He was also involved with the schools of the French Canadian Missionary Society. His sermons were occasionally published in the Pulpit Treasury (New York). He contributed material to the Presbyterian College’s Journal (including a “College hymn”), to the Presbyterian Church’s Sunday-school periodical Teacher’s Monthly (Toronto), and to the Presbyterian Quarterly Review (Philadelphia) on a wide range of subjects including missions, education, sociology, and Roman Catholicism. In 1870, MacVicar was awarded an honorary degree of LL.D. from McGill College and in 1883, an honorary degree of D.D. from Knox College.

In 1860, he married Eleanor Goulding (1837–1917). He died on December 15, 1902, in Montreal, Quebec.

Donald Norman MacVicar was born on August 17, 1869, in Montreal, Quebec.

He was an important architect active in Montreal. He does not appear to have obtained any formal university education in architecture. Much of his experience was gained by working under the direct supervision of Sir Andrew T. Taylor (Taylor & Gordon), a leading architect in Montreal during the last two decades of the 19th century. MacVicar joined Taylor’s office in 1888 and remained there until at least 1893, then traveled in Europe before returning to Montreal. In 1894, he was invited by David R. Brown, a talented young architect, to form a new partnership. They were joined by a new partner, John C.A. Heriot, in 1896, but Brown left to create his own firm in 1898, and MacVicar & Heriot launched their own office which was to become both successful and prosperous. More than one hundred institutional, commercial, and residential works were completed by the firm during the next twenty years. After the unexpected death of Heriot in July 1921, MacVicar continued to practise on his own, but he retained the joint name of his firm. In 1920, he served as President of the Province of Quebec Association of Architects.

In 1907, he married Mary Louise Butler. He died on March 26, 1929, in Montreal, Quebec.

Madame prend congé (Centre des femmes de Pointe-Saint-Charles) is a non-profit non-governmental organization founded in 1979. Its mission has been to break women's isolation, fight poverty, violence against women, improve women's living conditions and promote equality between women and men in society.
It has been a meeting place that welcomes all women regardless of their origins, financial means or sexual orientation. Women are encouraged to express themselves, exchange ideas and break their isolation. The centre offers leisure activities, group activities, continuing education and thematic workshops. It runs a thrift store (Magasin-Partage) offering women reintegration into employment.
The Board of Directors is made up of women from Pointe-Saint-Charles, members and participants of the centre.